Returning
by yugi001
Summary: Better Summary Inside When Ed and Al went to the other side after closing the gate, things happened. While Ed stayed the same age, Al was turned into a 5 year old.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Summary: After closing the gate to Shambala, though Al had his memories back, they were completely erased when he decided to stay on the Other Side. He was also turned back to a five-year-old and had no memory of what had happened in Resembol, or on their quest to find the Philosopher s Stone. The two Elric brothers settled in a small town, Sage, and are living peacefully. But, when Ed is traveling to the next town over, he is sucked into a blue vortex. But what awaits Ed on the other side of the vortex? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I guess it s for the better, Ed thought to himself one day. In the small town of Sage that he lived in with Al, everything was peaceful. They lived in a nice big house with a large front yard, and an orchard filled with apple and cherry trees. Though the area around him made him recall his past, Ed never brought up the past events, but kept them in his memory, to remind him.

It had been three years since the closing of the gate. There was a difference of eight years between them, since Al was brought back as an eight-year-old, and Ed was sixteen. The two were accepted into the village without complaint. Ed had become a teacher for the towns peoples kids once they found out how vast his knowledge. And, just as in the other side, Ed was considered a genius.

Al seems so happy here; I wouldn t do anything to take that away from him. Its better than living in a suit of armor Ed looked out the window, looking fondly at his little brother. When Al looked up and saw this, he smiled and waved. Ed smiled back. I would do anything to keep that smile of his.

Ed headed towards the window. Alright everyone, recess is over! Come back in! He called, and the kids came running into the house. They all sat down in the living room, where there was a large chalk board sitting on a stand.

Alright everyone, Ed announced, stepping into the living room. Today s lesson shall be about the life cycle. The students cheered. For some reason, they enjoyed learning.

Everything starts out as a seed, Ed began, drawing a sketch of a seed on the board. Every living thing needs food and water to survive. Next, he drew a river and berries.

As time progresses, He continued on, the living thing grows older and older. It matures and changes shape. And as time goes by, it slowly grows stronger, until it is at its prime, and then is starts to grow weaker and weaker until it passes on. When he had finished explaining, Ed had drawn a circle in which the stages of life were shown. Are there any questions?

Hai, said a boy in the middle.

What is it, Christopher? Ed asked.

Does that cycle apply to us as well? He asked.

Yes, it does. Ed replied.

How? He asked.

Well, everyone here started out as babies, right? They all nodded. Just like a seed, you need food and water to survive. You grow stronger and stronger as you mature, and you grow weak as you get old. And eventually, you pass on as well.

I get it. Christopher said.

Ed smiled. Good. He waited for any more hands to go up. When they didn t, he continued on. Alright everyone, your homework is to find something that is based from the life cycle. And try not to get your parents to tell you. He added, when he saw two of the children whispering to each other. Class is dismissed for today.

Bye-bye! The students called as they ran out the door. Ed waved as he picked up the chalkboard to clean it.

Nii-san, Al said. Ed turned towards his brother. What s for dinner tonight? He asked.

Ed laughed. I believe Leera (Christopher s mom) wanted us to come over for dinner tonight. He laughed again as he saw Al s face light up.

Yea! Al cried, jumping around.

You have to help me clean up, though. Otherwise you won t go. Ed told Al.

Hai! Al replied, collecting the books they used during today s lessons. The tow worked steadily to clean up the mess that was made.

Did you enjoy today s lessons, Al? Ed asked once they had finished cleaning up. He sat down on the couch.

Hai! Nii-san s lessons are always fun! Al exclaimed, a large grin on his face as he say next to his older brother.

I m glad, Ed replied, a gentle smile on his face. Ed got up from the couch. How about we get going? We don t want to be late for dinner.

Al nodded eagerly. He, too, got up from the couch and headed towards the door. Ed turned the lights off, and locked the door behind him. Then, the two headed to Christopher s house, unaware that thing were going to change, and soon. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Ed and Al were walking to Leera s house. Al was looking around to see if there were any good examples of the life cycle.

There are too many to choose from, nii-san! How do I choose? Al asked, exasperated.

Just choose one that you think only you would come up with. Ed replied. As I said, it can be any example of the life cycle.

Al frowned. Ed laughed. Don t worry; you ll be able to find something before class tomorrow. Ed said.

They were at Christopher s house by then. Christopher was running around, being chased by his father. Maark. When Maark saw them he smiled.

Hey, Edward. He greeted, patting Ed on the back. It s been a while since you ve visited.

Yeah, sorry about that. I ve been a little busy. Ed replied. Besides, Leera invited us over for dinner. And you know what would happen if we didn t come. The two imagined Leera going on a rant, yelling and screaming. They laughed together over that one.

Well, come on in, Maark said. You re always welcome here, being the teacher.

Why thank you, you re so kind. Ed responded teasingly. The two walked into the house.

Hello, Ed, Leera called from the kitchen. She came out with a bowl in her hands, and an apron on. Thanks for coming over tonight.

No problem, Leera. Ed replied kindly. It was kind of you to invite Al and me over for dinner tonight. Of course we would accept your offer. Ed smiled.

Your welcome, Ed. She replied. Though it amazes me every time to listen to you talk; you talk like an adult.

Well, I try my best. Ed replied. If you can talk the talk, people might give you a bit more respect.

Well, you ve earned the respect of everyone in the village, Edward. Maark told him, motioning him to sit down. Being a teacher at such a young age. And you are considered to be a genius.

Not really, Ed replied modestly. He heard people talking about him like that in the Military, so he knew how to avoid talking about it.

Nonsense, you re very smart, Edward. We re lucky to have someone of your incredible caliber in this town.

Ed smiled. He was glad he could help. The villagers had let them in without any explanation. They had also never pressed or pried into his past. It was the least he could do for them. So the two made small talk until dinner was ready.

Dinner s ready! Leera called from the kitchen.

Alright. Maark called back. Would you go get Al and Chris for me? (Chris being Christopher, and probably will be Chris from now in) Maark asked, heading towards the kitchen. I m going to help bring the food out.

Sure, Ed replied, getting up. He walked towards the front door and opened it. He looked outside to see that Al and Chris were running around. He smiled.

Al, Chris! Dinner! Ed called. The two ran inside upon hearing Ed s call. They rushed past him. Make sure you wash your hands. Ed told them.

Hai! The two said in unison, running to the bathroom.

The two came out a few minutes later with their hands cleaned. Have fun you two? Leera asked, setting down their plates in front of them.

Yeah! The two exclaimed before going into fill de tail of what they did together. Ed took a seat in between Maark and Al.

This looks good, Leera. Ed commented, taking a bite of the pasta.

Thanks. Leera replied sitting down next to Chris and Maark.

How s the construction going? Ed asked. Maark was the head of the construction team that would be building the new library for the town.

Things are running along smoothly. He replied, a satisfied look on his face. I believe it will be done within the two next months.

That s great. Ed responded. He was looking forward to reading some of the new books that the library would hold.

There was a knock on the door. I ll go get it, Ed replied, getting up. He walked over to the front door and opened it. It was the town mayor, Matt LaVerne. Hello, Mr. LaVerne, Ed greeted the mayor. How can I help you? He asked.

Hello Edward, The mayor greeted warmly. Is Maark home? He asked.

Yes he is, Ed replied. Why don t you come on in while I get him? Ed replied, stepping out of the way for the mayor to come in.

The mayor stepped through the door. Ed went to get Maark. Maark, He said as he entered the kitchen again. The mayor wants you.

Maark got up. Thanks, Edward, Maark replied. He walked out of the kitchen with Ed behind him.

Ah, Maark, Mr. LaVerne said. We have a slight problem.

What is it, Matt? Maark asked. Maark and Matt were close friends.

We need a few books from the town over. Do you think you could go over and get them? He asked.

Hmm, Maark replied. He looked back towards the kitchen where his wife and son were. Ed saw this.

If you want, Ed cut in. I ll make the trip. Maark looked over to Ed appreciatively.

Really, Edward? He asked. Ed nodded. A grin broke onto Maark s face. Thank you.

No problem, Maark. Ed replied. If Al can stay here for a few days until I return, I ll be glad to do it.

Its fine with me, and I m sure Leera won t mind once she hears why you re going. Maark said. He turned to the mayor. Is this alright with you? He asked.

Of course. He returned warmly. I m sure nothing will go wrong with Edward here doing the retrieval. Mr. LaVerne said. Edward nodded in agreement.

_

The next day Ed was walking along the road. He was glad that Al didn t complain. He was sent off with a smiling little brother, as well as the rest of the students in his class, as well as some of the parents.

~Start Flashback~

Man, you d think there was royalty leaving here, Ed joked. Everyone laughed.

Leera walked up to Ed. Here Ed, She gave him a package. This is from Maark and me. Ed opened the package. It was a cloak. He smiled as he held it out. He was even more amused when he saw that it was his same red cloak, except longer. He put it on.

Thanks, Ed said to Leera. This is great.

Well, we thought you d like it. It was the one you were wearing when you came into Sage. Leera smiled. Ed nodded. It was his favorite. He wore it all the time on the other side.

Well, I ll be going now. Ed stated after he had patted his brother s head. You be good now, Al. Don t get into any trouble.

Don t worry, Nii-san. Al replied. I ll be good.

Great. Ed said before walking off.

~End Flashback~

Ed smiled at the thought. He was now walking along at a steady pace with his brown suitcase with him, just as he had before. Brings back memories Ed thought to himself, thinking back to the time where he and an older Al had traveled looking for the Philosopher s Stone.

While going through his past memories, he suddenly stopped when he saw this strange blue vortex come up. He was about to go through the forest when he heard someone crying. He looked back to see that a little girl was being sucked in by the portal. Ed ran to help the girl. Once he arrived at the portal, he put a hand out towards the girl. Take my hand! Ed yelled. Quick!

The girl did as she was told. She grabbed onto Ed s hand, and he pulled her out. But, as he put the girl down away from the portal, he was sucked back into it. Onii-san! The girl called after him. But it was too late; the portal was closing, and Ed was slowly losing consciousness. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA. Too bad.

When Ed opened his eyes, he put his arm over his head to block the brightness. When his eyes had adjusted ti the lgih, he removed his arm. The first thoughts to come to his mind then were 'Where am I? What happened?'

Ed sat up and took a look around the room where he was in. The room was a light green that matched the bed. There were many windows in the room, all of which were open. There were photos of a boy, ranging from when he was young to however old he was now.

Ed sighed peacefully. It was peaceful here, just like in Sage. 'Maybe someone found me and decided to take care of me until I was ready.' He thought to himself.

Just then, someone opneed the door to the bedroom. Ed turned his head to see it was the boy from the photos. When seeing that Ed was awake, his face lit up.

"You're awake!" The boy exclaimed.

Ed chuckled. "Yes, I am." He replied.

"How do you feel?" The boy asked.

"Fine," Ed responded.

Relief came onto the boy's face. "I'm glad." The boy said. "When me and my dad found you lying on the ground outside the house, we were shocked. We didn't expect to see you there."

"Yeah, I didn't expect what happened to happen, either." Ed replied.

"Oh, by the way, I'm Kain. Nice to meet you." Kain greeted him with a smile, holding out his hand.

Ed returned the handshake with a smile as well. "Nice to meet you, too. I'm Ed." Ed replied.

"Can you get up?" Kain asked. Ed pulled the covers off and swung his legs over the bed. He stood up and walked.

"Yep, there's no major damage anywhere, as far as I'm concerned, except for my memories." Ed said.

Kain gave him a slightly confised, but over-all worried look. "What's wrong with your memories?" He asked.

"Well I wasn't able to remember where I was," Ed started, holding up a finger. "I don't remember much about the economy, or the government. So I'm pretty bad off." Ed said, laughing to make his lie seem real.

It worked, leaving Kain relieved. "Oh, of that's the case, we can get you a map and fill you in." Kain suggested with a large grin on his face.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer." Ed replied, grinning as well.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

About an hour later, Ed was sitting at the table in the kitchen, talking with Kain and his father, Lein. Ed was wearing a pair of Kain's clothes (which fit pretty well) since his clothes were torn up badly except for his red cloak. It was pretty similar to what Ed's originl clothes, except the sleeveless tee was red.

"I see..." Lein said as Ed explained his memory loss. "Alright then, I guess we'll have to get you up to date again, won't we?" Lein said, with a grin on his face.

Ed smiled in return. "I would appreciate that very much."

Lein nodded. "So far, as of now, though it seems as though it was before the military took over, is not so. State Alchemists are the main reason there aren't any wars. The people aren't taking well to the democracy." He paused for a moment, and then continued on.

"So, basically being a State Alchemist gives you even more power than when the military was in command?" Ed asked. Lein nodded.

"Yes, that's the way it is. Though State Alchemists are widely respected and welcomed by the people. We're aware of what's happening right now, and so you could say we're thankful, I guess." Lein explained.

"Yes, I can see that." Ed said, surprinsing Lein a bit. Ed gazed out the open kitchen window and continued. "In a country, no matter which one, the people play a major role. If anything were to hapen to them, you couldn't call your country a country. So the State Alchemists are doing the jobs they were doing before, but this time, the people are really seeing it, and are showing their thanks." Ed finished, still gazing outside.

Lein was shocked, to say the least. The way Ed had exlpained it showed his knowledge and genius, despite being so young. Lein smiled. "That is true, Ed. I couldn't think of a better way to put it."

Ed turned towards Lein and Kain again. Ed felt the memories of being here again stirring. "I truly am thankful to you two for all your help." He said. Ed got up from his chair. "I don't want to over-stay my welcome, so I think I'll head out now." He glanced over at Kain, who had a sad expression.

He chuckled at the boy's expression. "Don't worry Kain; if I'm still welcome, I'll come visit again sometime. Alright?" Ed said to Kain, who's expression now was a happy one.

"Ok!" He agreed with a smile. He walked Ed to the door with Lein behind them. "Make sure to come back, okay?" Kain said.

"I'll do my best," Ed replied, walking out the door and onto the dirt road. He waved at Kain and Lein, shouting a thank-you, and continuing on. 'Where should I go from now?' He thought to himslef. He had the map in his hand, and was lookin at the town where he had just left. 'Maybe I should go get my arm and leg tuned up?' He mused to himself. Then there was a ka-boom, making the earth rumble. Ed looked around to see what had happened. But there was no sign of what the explosion was. 'That's odd,' Ed thought to himself. He continued on, but he was more alert than before.

As the smoke from the explosion cleared away, Roy smiled in satisfaction. The prisoners who had escaped were now lying unconscious on the ground. "Mission complete," Roy said to himself. He motioned for his subordinates to shackle the prisoners.

"You must enjoy this," a woman commented from behind. Roy turned his head to the right as Riza Hawkeye came forward.

"Well, things aren't as exciting as they used to be, Riza," He said, remembering what had happened with them. "Though annoying, it was still exciting."

"I suppose so," The lieutenant replied. "Where do you think they are now?" She asked, agzing up at the blue sky.

"Who knows?" Roy replied. Little did they know that things would soon change. 


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own FMA

It was a peaceful journey for Ed; the sun was out, there was a gentle breeze going, and everything just seemed the way it should. He could see the outline of the next town. 'I'll probably get there around sundown.' Ed thought, keeping a steady pace.

He started to hum a song as he walked. It was one of his favorites, Oath In The Storm. He kept his steady pace to the beat of the song, but was abruptly stopped when there was another explosion. But this one came from ahead of him. Ed became alert once more and quickened his pace. His expression paled when he saw what awaited him ahead.

There was a fire that was quickly catching on one of the houses. The towns people were running around, all distraught. 'I can see why,' Ed thought to himself. There was no one to order them to do anyhting; nothing was getting done. Ed decided to step in.

He whistled with his fingers, catching the attention of the towns people. "Listen up!' He called. "Nothing is going to get done if you keep running around the way you do." The villagers murmured. But Ed continued on, silencing them.

"What you need to do is go grab buckets and fill them with the water from your wells so you can put out the fire." Ed explained. When nobody moved, Ed said in a loud voice, "You know, you still have a burning house over there." He jerked his thumb backwards to the house with the fire. The towns people snapped out of whatever trance they were in and started to act.

The boys and girls grabbed buckets from their homes and brought them to the well, where the men were filling them and sending them back out again.

"Speed it up!" Ed commanded, throwing his jacket and bag to the side, grabbing one of the buckets from the well that was filled. "The fire is getting worse, and we don't want it to spread." The speed was picked up, and gradually, the fire was brought down.

"Phew," Ed said. "Cirsis averted." Ed looked around to see what damage had been dealt; it wasn't too bad, though the fmaily who lived there were going to need a new house to replace it.

Ed felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to face a man who was a few inches taller than he was, with short brown hair and matching brown eyes. "Thank you so much, young man," He said, appreciation adn gratitude layering his voice. "Without you, we might not have gotten the fire out as quickly." He shook Ed's hand.

"I'm the mayor of this town, Scott Bree. Nice to meet you." He said, a smile on his face.

"I'm Ed," Ed replied, smiling as well.

"Well Ed," Scott told him. "You are welcome to stay at my house for the time you spend here; its the least we I can do."

Ed nodded his agreement. "That would be very kind, thank you. Let me just grab my things." He replied, walking over to grab his things from where he had thrown them. When he picked them up, he walked back towards Scott, who led the way to his house.

It was a normal house, as the rest of the houses in the village, though it was centered inthe middle. Entering the house, he found it similar to his old house in Resembol. There was a living room, a kitchen, two bathrooms, a study, and a few bedrooms.

"Well, this is my humble home." Scott said. "Please make yourself at home. You can take the bedroom upstairs, second room on the right. I'll put on some tea."

Ed murmured a "Thanks," Before heading upstairs.

The room he was asigned was a nice one. There were many windows, letting the sunlight in, the room was painted a sky blue, and the bed matched. There was a desk with a chair adn lamp underneath one of the windows. When taking a look at the desk, he noticed that the window above gave a great view of a small pond in the back with an orchard and flowers.

It was peaceful here, more so than it had been when he was a State Alchemist. 'This is the way it should be,' He thought to himself. Memories of Resembol flashed in his mind, of times when they were young, and when his mother was still alive. 'If only she were,' Ed thought. 'Things would be different.'

Sighing, he left the bedroom, going back down the stairs. As he entered the kitchen, Scott was setting down two cups of tea for them. He had also prepared some sandwiches. "Hungry?" He asked.

Ed nodded slightly as he sat down at the table. Getting the ok from Scott, he picked up a sandwich and began eating it. Scott did the same as well, and they began doing some small talk.

They were talking about what the military used to be like when Scott brought it up. "Hey, are you good at alchemy?" He asked.

"I'm alright, I guess." Ed lied, remembering as to how he had been called a genius because he was a State Alchemist at age twelve.

"That's better than a lot of us here," Scott noted, chuckling. "Do you mind showing me an example?"

"Alright," Ed agreed, though he wasn't as comfortable with doing alchemy ever since he found out the secret from the other side of the gate. "Do you have any chalk with you? I ran out a while ago." Ed admitted.

"Sure, hold on for a moment." Scott said, getting up from the table. He left the room, returning a minute later with alchemists' chalk. "Here you go," He said, tossing the chalk to Ed.

Ed deftly grabbed it as it was tossed to him. He decided he might repair something. "Do you have anything around the house that needs repairing?" He asked, looking at Scott.

Scott nodded. "One of my radios is broken. I'll go get it." He said. Ed watched him walk away to wherever the radio was. Ed smirked to himself. 'Just like it was back then.' He thought of the radio, how Al had fixed it, and how he had met Rose. 'I wonder how she's doing now,' he mused. As he thought of all the people he had left behind here, he became even more curious as to what they were up to.

He lookd up and saw Scott come in with the broken radio. "Here," He told Ed, handing his the radio. Ed gawked at it. "What did you do to i?" He asked in shock as he turned the radio in his hands. There were many bolts missing for starters; springs were sitcking out in places where he didn't think they really could.

He sighed, but started making the transmutation circle with the chalk. Once that was done, he placed the radio in the middle of the circle. Ed placed his hands on the circle, and there was a flash of blue light. When it was gone, the broken radio was looking brand new.

Scott's expression was of happiness. "Thanks alot, Ed," He said, his voice full of gratitude. "This was a gift given to me by the villagers. I was so upset when it broke." There was a grin on his face.

"No problem," Ed replied, returning the grin. Scott carefully picked the radio up. He turned it on, tense. A talk show was going on when they tuned in. Scott gave a sigh of relief.

They listened to the talk show in a companionable silence. They were only disturbed when there was a loud knocking on the door. "Mayor! Mayor!" They heard the person shout. THere was a scream in the background.

'This can't be good,' Ed thought, jumping out of his chair with Scott following. Ed threw open the door and stared. There was smoke coming from the houses, which Ed thought to be fire. He looked from side to side and noticed there was a group of thugs with all the women in the middle of them.

Ed sighed. 'That's just great; a bunch of bandit. And we just got the fire out, too.' He walked over to the group of thugs.

"Oi, what are you doing?" He asked, putting his hands behind his head.

The thugs turned towards him. The one in the middle, a rather large man, the leader of the group, was amused by this. "What do you wnat, brat?" He asked.

"Well, considering you've left the town in ruins, I want you to fix it." He stated. The man who spoke to him laughed.

"Ha! And why would we do that?" He asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe for the sake of your lives." Ed said, cracking his knuckles.

The leader just laughed again, and sent the others after Ed. The surprise he would get when he found out that Ed wasn't lying.

Roy was finishing up with the scapees when Hawkeye came running up to him.

"Sir! We have a problem!" She excalimed.

Roy's eyes narowed slightly. "What happened?" He asked.

"The town up ahead has been attacked by the bandits lead by escapee Kole." Hawkeye explained.

"What are we waiting for then? Move the squad out and get their as fast as possible." Roy ordered. In a louder voice, he repeated the order. "We have a situation in the town up ahead. Get moving!"

"Yes, Sir!" Came from the rest of the squad before they headed towards the next town. The men and women quickly traveled to the next town, followed by Roy and Hawkeye.

When they were able to see the town, it wasn't a pretty sight. Fires were going on everywhere, and the citizens were panicking.

"Move it!" Roy ordered. "Hurry it up!" The squad quickened their pace, but stopped cold at the new sight before them.

Roy became irritated at the stopping of his subordinates. "What are you-" Roy started angrily but stopped when he saw the reason for the cease. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The leader of the thugs just stared with his jaw open. The brat had taken down all of his men, and he didn't even break a sweat.

"Are you sure you don't want to leave now?" Ed asked, a smirk on his face. He started walking towards the leader of the bandits.

"As if you could beat me, brat!" The man boasted.

"We'll see about that." Ed retorted, running straight for the leader. The leader, expecting this to happen, dodged with ease as Ed punched. He grabbed Ed's left arm and flipped him onto his back. Ed landed on his feet as he was flipped. He jumped in the air and kicked thee bandit leader in his chest, causing the man to fall onto his back.

Ed watched as the man got back up. The leader charged him this time, bringing out a large gun. Ed gawked. How the hell did he get such a big gun?

The leader of the bandits laughed at Ed's face. "I aquired this when I broke out of jail a little while ago. I guarantee it works perfectly." The leader said with a maniacal grin on his face. Ed knew that the leader had killed a lot of people with that.

"Well then," Ed said, clapping his hands together, feeling the familiar feeling of alchemy in his hands. He swiped it over his right arm, a blade coming out from under the fake skin. "We'll hust have to make sure it doesn't work anymore, won't we?" Ed charged towards the man with a speed the leader wasn't expecting.

In the next second, Ed had sliced through the large gun. He made a cut down the man's chest. Blood started to come out, and the bandit leader fell to the ground unconscious. He then started piling the bodies of the other unconscious bandit on top of their leader's.

Ed wiped the back of his hand on his forehead when he had finished piling the bodies up. "That should take care of him for a while."

Looking around to see if he could do anything to help clear the damage, he noticed a group of men and women in blue uniforms. 'You're kidding me.' Ed thought to himself with realization.

A figure stepped out of the crowd. He had black hair and matching eyes. He smirked. "It's about time you came back. Fullmetal." 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Same as last time, same as the future: I don't own anything.

Flashback

Looking around to see if he could do anything to help clear the damage, he noticed a group of men and women in blue uniforms. 'You're kidding me.' Ed thought to himself with realization.

A figure stepped out of the crowd. He had black hair and matching eyes. He smirked. "It's about time you came back. Fullmetal."  
___________________________________________________________________________________________

"Well I'll be damned," Ed said, looking at Mustang. "If it isn't the Bastard Colonel himself." Ed had a slight smirk on his face. APparently, Roy's new troops weren't used to their suoerior being insulted. SOm of them lifted their weapons. Roy put a hand up, signaling for them to relax.

"What brings you to this part of the woods, Fullmetal?" Roy asked, examining his cloth-covered nails.

"Oh, you know, the usual." Ed's smirk grew. "Saving the innocent, beating up the bad guys, getting transported from different worlds, earnig a little-"

"Transported from different worlds?" Roy asked, interrupting Ed.

"Yeah, it was a lot of fun. One minute, I'm on the other side of the Gate going to get a book for our new library in town" Ed looked at the expressions of Roy's soldiers, amused. They apparently were smart enough to know about the other side. "And the next I know, I wake up in a very comfortable bed, five miles off from Central. THat good enough for ya, Colonel?" Ed asks.

'So they aren't just here,' Roy thought. 'We mught just have to get his help again. "Well, since you're here, you're going to be working for the military again, right?" Roy asks, expecting the Fullmetal to refuse. But to his surprise, he gets a different answer.

"I'm not sure at the moment, Colonel. Though I really don't like the military, especially with my experiences with Bradley, I do want to get back to Al. I don't want to leave him alone, and he's bound to be worrying by now. the trip was only suppose to take a day or two." Ed was on the verge of rambling to himself.

Roy sighed looking at the Fullmetal fully for the first time. The boy had grown taller, and his hair had gotten much longer, making it look like gold. Though he didn't appear to be older that sixteen. 'I wonder what that's about,' Roy thouhgt to himself. 'He should be eighteen by now.' He decided he'd figure it out, whether it was personal or not.

"Why are you worrying, Fullmetal? Your little brother should be able to take care of himself, shouldn't he?" Roy asked.

The smirk on Ed's face was now gone, replaced by a more serious, slightly angered one. "If you must know," Ed said, his voice cold, and his eyes were boring into Roy, like cold gold. "When we crossed the gate, out ages got mixed up. When we arrived, I was thirteen, and Al was five." Ed finished, now quieter than before.

Roy caught the sadness that had enetered Ed's voice. 'Must have been pretty tough on him.' Roy thouhgt to himself. "I see,"

Ed snorted. The colonel was a heartless man. "I might as well join, then." Ed relented. Roy raised an eyebrow at him. "If I refuse, you'll either make some excuse about me when Hawkeye asks, or you'll forget that I'm back here, and it'll take you a while to find me."

Roy's eye teitched slightly as he heard the blonds' words. Though he had been away for three years, he still had a loud mouth. "Very well then. We'll be leaving in ten minutes, so hurry up and grab your things." Roy ordered.

Ed rolled his eyes, but went back to the Mayor's house to collect his things. When he got there, he explained to Scott that he would be leaving. Scott understood Ed's situation; he thanked Ed for his help, and wished him a safe journey.

Upon leaving the house, Ed was back in his mormal attire. He had hid normal clothes on, and was striding towards the group of soldiers.

When he arrived, the soldiers were cautious of him. Ed understood that; it was better to be cautious in the beginning, when you met someone, rather thatn being completely open with them. Though some people didn't like him at all, and decided that he should receive punishment for being rude to the Colonel.

"Hey brat," A man, Sean, called. Ed yurned his head at the group of men; he knew his would end up with someone getting hurt.

"What?" Ed asked, a bored expression on his face.

"Don't you think you were rude to the Colonel earlier?" He asked.

"No." Ed answered bluntly. Sean's eye twitched in anger.

"Well, since you apparently don't have any respect for anyone, maybe we should teach it to ya." Sean said. The other soldiers in his group cackled.

Ed raised an eyebrow. Were these guys that dumb? 'To face off against me is not something I'd recommend." Ed replied. There were murmurs going around the rest of the soldiers.

Sean's face showed anger, and he headed straight for Ed with a punch ready to be thrown. The other soldiers followed nstantly.

Ed cracked his knuckled. 'Well, I did warn them.' He thought to himself. 'Besides, putting them in their places should kill some time.

And that's exactly what he did.

About three minutes later, all of the soldiers on the assaulting group were tied up in bunches. "I did warn you, you know," Ed said smirking at them.

Sean growled. "You just got lucky. You're a brat that doesn't know anything. Nothing at all about wars, and the deaths of innicent people." Sean smirked. "You just run along home to your mommy." He said. It was something he would come to regret.

Ed'd eyes became cold with rage. "Ha, you think you know what it's like?" Ed asked, mercilessly, sending shivers down the spines of anyone who was in listening range. "You have no clue. Were you tracked down and hunted by a killer that destroyed you from the inside out? Did you have to fight people to the death just so you could live?" Ed asked. His voice was rising in volume.

"Did you have to experience both your parents dying at a young age? No, you didn't." He stared Sean in the eyes, making Sean flinch.

"You don't know a damn thing. Hell, you got it easy compared to when I was in the Military. You are respected by the towns people. We were called dogs of the military, forced under one man's rule. I was in the military when I was twelve." Ed paused, glaring harder at the man. "You have no right to judge me. You are weak, compared to me." Ed spat at Sean before he left.

The eyes of the soldier's were wide. The past of that kid was brutal. It was clear on the faces of the assaulters that they regretted what they said.

"Well, now you know," The soldiers jumped as they heard their commanding officer's voice. "He wasn't lying about anything, either. He's considered a genius, passing the State Alchemist exam at twelve. His second name, which I know that all of you have heard of, -some even respect- The Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric." If the soldier's eyes weren't bulging out of their heads before, they were now. The Fullmetal Alchemist was a prodigy among the military. To think he was actually a kid, only sixteen.

"He's seen things far worse than Hell, trust me," Roy said, looking over at hte group of soldiers who had attacked him. "If I wasn't a State Alchemist too, he would automatically be the commanding officer. Well, technically, since he's joining us now, he is your superior." He glared at Sean and the other soldiers. "So you'd better learn how to respect him, otherwise you'll have me to deal with." Roy's voice was cold, almost as cold as Ed's had been.

The group of assailants nodded quickly. Roy turned to the other soldiers. "Leave them like this until we head out; they need to learn a lesson." With orders ordered, he walked away, and those that weren't tied up went back to their duties.  
___________________________________________________________________________________________

What'd you think? Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: If you don't know by now, that's just sad.

* * *

The journey back to Headquarters was boring for Ed. The train they were riding was a slow, if not old, one. It was slightly annoying that the soldiers would appear every now and then, asking him questions. Though he didn't mind it so much, because he kind of enjoyed going over the old memories he had. (The ones that were pleasant, anyway.)

But eventually, they came to the colonel's headquarters. "So you're stuck in Central, are you?" Ed taunted Roy as he recognized where they were. A lot went down there, and if he could cause the colonel some pain, it wouldn't be so bad.

"Yes," Roy replied coolly, though both alchemists knew that he was far from what he sounded like. "I've been placed here since my return, Edward." Roy returned, ending the conversation.

When they arrived at the station in Central, they had a few soldiers to greet them, as well as a large gathering of grateful citizens there to welcome him back. Ed, who was silently observing this from a window, just laughed to himself. 'If only they appreciated us this much before, when we were dogs of the military.' Ed thought to himself a bit sourly. 'But I guess it's not too late, though, to start. It's a shame I wasn't there to see how it all changed. But then again, I was living with Dad...' Ed's thoughts lead him to his father, and his father's death. Though he never let it show, it really hurt him when the old man passed. 'How old was I though? 18? 21?' He mused to himself. 'Out ages got completely messed up when Al and I were on the Other Side...'

Sighing, Ed stood up from his booth on the train, and he headed towards the exit. As he passed by, the soldiers would salute him. Over time, as Ed had noticed, he had gained an aura around himself, commanding respect. He supposed this was because, despite his age, he was older, and had more experience than most. He smiled bitterly, thinking how ironic it was. "Wisdom comes with age," His father repeated that daily to him, living in Germany. But here he was, young, and with a hell of a lot more experience than his elders.

'The hardships of being a dog, I guess.' Ed thought to himself. He stopped walking when he heard Mustang talking. Ed rolled his eyes. 'He's just rolling in it, isn't he?' He asked himself, shaking his head. 'I bet he's getting a number out of those girls.' Ed looked out the window. Sure enough, a piece of paper with a number on it. The girl was blushing, and Mustang was just soaking it in.

"He's been doing that more recently." Said a voice behind him. Turning around, Ed saw that it was Hawkeye. He nodded in acknowledgement. "It's as if he somehow knew you were going to return, and decided to pick up on his old ways to spite us all." Hawkeye continued.

"What can you do? It's not like he's serious about any of them, is he?" ed asked. "his longest relationship was like, three months or so?"

Hawkeye laughed at the jab directed to her superior. "I guess you're right." She said. Ed nodded, and turned around, making to leave. But, upon turning around, one of the soldiers ran into him, spilling their drink all over his front, his hair, and part of his pants.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" The soldier exclaimed, bowing.

Ed sighed, knowing that there was nothing he could do about it. "It's alright, don't worry about it." Ed gave her a small smile, which turned into a grimace when he realized he didn't have a clean pair of clothes. "But I'm out of clothes..."

The soldier who had spilled on him looked even more distraught. She began bowing and apologising profusely, more than she did the first time.

"Don't worry," Hawkeye said, resting a hand on the soldier's shoulder. "We can get some new clothes from a someone else." The soldier nodded, looking as if she was going to cry.

"Does anyone have a pair spare of clothes?" Hawkeye called out to the soldiers. One of the soldiers came up, a shirt and pants in hand.

"Will this do?" He asked, looking at Hawkeye and Ed. "It's not in the best of shape, and the shirt's missing some buttons..."

Hawkeye nodded. "Thank you," Ed thanked the man, taking the clothes from him. The soldier saluted before leaving again. Ed turned to Hawkeye. "Is there someplace I can change?" He asked.

Hawkeye nodded. "Follow me," She said, leading Ed to a bathroom installed on the train. "It's a bit small, but it should do." Hawkeye told him, as they stopped in front of the bathroom. Ed nodded, and went in to change.

* * *

Ed changed out of his clothes, slipping into the new ones. They were a bit big, but they would make do. He first changed into the shirt, which was a white button down. Indeed, it was missing buttons, and Ed didn't bother buttoning them, it wouldn't make a difference. Out of the six buttons, four were missing. Ed then pulled on the blue pants, which fit better than he thought they would, though they were a bit longer than he was.

Next, he decided to wash out his hair a bit. The drink the soldier had was sticky, and it clumped together. Ed, preferring cleanliness, decided to clean it as best as he could. Under the water, he ran his fingers through it. When he was satisfied that he got most of the juice out, he let it air dry.

It had been a while since he had his hair down, seeing he would only see it when he bathed, and he hadn't had one for a while. So letting his hair hang without a bind, he noticed it was now to his waist.

'Should I cut it a bit?' He wondered to himself. He looked as his hair in the mirror again. 'Nah, I like it this way.' And he left it at that.

Just as he was about to turn the knob, he heard a knock on the door. "Sir?" Asked a voice. Ed presumed it to be the man who had lent him the clothes. "We are able to leave the train now." He said.

Ed opened the door, smiling at the soldier. "Thanks." He said to the soldier.

The soldier nodded, then rubbed his head. "I'm sorry that most of the buttons are missing. It happened during the trip, and I'm not sure where they are."

Ed chuckled at the man's reasons, thinking of what Al did when he lost the buttons to his shirt. He would have to mend them, though it wasn't such a terrible thing. He found it soothing, almost, for some reason.

"Don't worry about it, I'm used to missing buttons. My little brother misplaced them all the time." Ed replied, thinking of Al again.

"Your little brother, Sir?" The soldier asked, now walking behind Ed, who was walking towards the exit of the train.

"Yes," Ed replied fondly. "He's an innocent little boy, but probably couldn't keep the buttons on his shirts long enough to save his life." The two laughed, and walked the rest of the way in a companionable silence.

"Well, looks like the clothes fit you well, Edward," Hawkeye commented when she saw Ed walk towards her. "And you don't look half bad, either."

Ed smirked in reply to that. "I'm better looking than that womanizer any day." Ed replied, causing Hawkeye and other soldiers to laugh.

"Do you still have your pocket watch?" Hawkeye asked. Ed nodded, holding out the silver pocket watch he had gotten when he was twelve years old. Due to the time jumps he had, he wasn't sure how old the watch was, but it still held it's purpose. He caught the soldiers staring at it. He guessed that there was a new pocket watch design out, but he preferred to keep his.

"I haven't lost sight of it since I got it, except for a few times." Ed replied, putting his dirty clothes in his suitcase that had somehow managed to stay with him this whole entire time. "But those stories are for another time. Let's go see what happened to Central over the time I've been gone." Ed said, clipping his pocket watch onto the belt of the pants. Hawkeye nodded, and they exited the train.

* * *

Ed put an arm over his head; the sun was bright compared to the dimness of the train. He looked to see that Mustang was still flirting with the same girl, and he sighed softly.

"I envy the Colonel," Said a soldier in front of him said to the one next to him. "He gets all the girls." The soldier next to him nodded. "If only we had that luck."

Ed listened as the two soldiers talked about their love life. 'Maybe I should start considering one myself...' Ed mused, observing Mustang again. He shook his head. 'Then again, I'm only sixteen...' He sighed. Love was too complicated right now, and he needed to get back to his brother.

Deciding that he had listened to their conversation long enough, Ed cleared his throat to get the soldier's attention. The two soldiers stiffened up immediately, going to attention.

"Sir, yes, Sir!" They replied. Edward chuckled inwardly. They were probably badly scared, not knowing that anyone was behind them, and that the person was him. He didn't find himself too intimidating, especially in what he was wearing right now, but he could manage to look it if he wanted.

Unfortunately, Ed noticed, the crowd of civilians and soldiers that were near Roy looked at him, including Roy himself. They were amazed at what stood before them, though they had no idea who it was. Ed continued, ignoring the crowd.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted your conversation, but you're blocking the only way out as far as I know." Ed told them, and the two soldiers moved out of the way, letting Ed pass by easily. When Ed had gotten off the train, he turned and looked over his shoulders to the two soldiers.

"A little advice, though. "Looks are deceiving. Don't trust someone so easily; it may be your downfall." There was a sadness in Ed's voice that no one knew.

Ed walked past the two soldiers, who were staring at him in awe Ed passed Roy, his hair blowing as a gentle breeze blew past.

"Ed," Mustang called to Ed. Ed Turned around, his eyebrow slightly raised. "You can get your old room at Headquarters, remember?" He reminded the alchemist.

A thoughtful look came to Ed's face. 'Hmm," He thought to himself. 'Should I? It'd be convenient, since I wouldn't have to pay for it, but I'd have to work to keep it... But the library's close, and I need to do some research...' Ed sighed before looking at the Colonel again. "Might as well," He told Mustang. "I've got nothing better to do." He smiled at the Colonel. He started walking again. "I'm going to do some research. Send someone it you need me." Ed shot over his shoulder before walking away completely from the train station.

One of the soldiers in the welcoming crowd went up and asked Roy, "Hey Colonel, who is that?" THe other people in the crowd were nodding their heads in agreement. They, too, wanted to know who the boy was.

Roy smiled slightly, if not a bit sadly, too. "It appears you've forgotten him. It's not a surprise, really, considering that he had disappeared for three years before that."

"Yes, he's been gone for quite a while, hasn't he?" Hawkeye joined the conversation. "You all should know him, though. At one point, when Bradley was in control, he was known by many. Even considered the hero of the people, or something like that." The crowd was still confused, and Roy gave an inward sigh. Though it was reasonable not to recognize him, they, though many hints had been given, could not figure out who it was.

"Hey Roy. How you doing?" A voice asked from behind him. Roy turned around to see one of the locals. He had been on good terms with Michael for a long time.

"Pretty good." Roy replied, a smile on his face. "How about you?"

"Oh, I'm just fine. But seeing Ed walking through the town nearly gave me a heart attack. Didn't know he came back. Thought he got caught in some alchemical experiment and disappeared." Michael replied.

"Yes, that's true, he did disappear. But I managed to find him a few days ago when he popped back in. Unfortunately Alphonse isn't with him." Roy responded. The crowd was still looking confused, though Roy ignored it, knowing that they would find out whenever they did.

"Ha ha, is that so? Well, I suppose you're going to re-instate him back, right? He was one of the best alchemists we've ever seen." Michael said. Roy nodded in agreement, along with Hawkeye. Knowing that the conversation would end soon, Hawkeye began ordering the soldiers to grab their stuff and to exit the train.

"Yes, he was." Roy said. "It's a shame that most can't remember who he was, considering how long he's been gone."

"Colonel!" A frantic shout came from further up the street. Everyone looked towards the interruption to see Havoc running towards them.

When he reached them, he was practically out of breath. "What happened, Havoc?" Roy asked urgently. Havoc wouldn't have ran all the way from Headquarters just to greet him back.

"He's attacking again!" Havoc informed. "Sin's attacking the library!"

Normally, Roy would be calm and ordering his soldiers to the crime scene. But unfortunately, one blond-haired genius was at the library at that moment. Roy's eyes hardened realizing the information.

"We have no time to waste. Get moving." Roy ordered his troops, who began heading to the crime scene immediately.

Roy let out a frustrated growl that no one except Hawkeye heard. "I hope he hasn't gotten himself into trouble." Roy said, Hawkeye nodding in agreement. The two then headed off to the library, hoping that they weren't too late.

* * *

Ed had walked to the local library, rather than the military one. He, at the moment, preferred to keep a semi low profile. So, upon entering the library, he felt a calm over him. Unfortunately, he was the only thing in sight that was calm.

Trying to figure out what was wrong, Ed walked to the nearest person and asked why everyone was running around in a panic. It turned out she was a librarian, and she sighed upon being asked what was wrong.

"You see, there was supposed to be a lesson taught today, but the person who was supposed to come here has yet to show up. The people are getting rowdy, and we don't know what to do." The librarian said frantically, starting to panic again.

"What is it that was supposed to be taught today?" Ed asked, curious. If he knew something about it, he could pull off the lesson, with the help of the books provided here.

"Today's lesson was supposed to be about the Seven Deadly Sins." The librarian didn't notice how Ed's face had paled.

Resisting the urge to leave, Ed spoke up. "I can teach the lesson if you want." The librarian looked at him, shocked. "I know a lot about it, too much if you ask me." Ed said, trying to laugh it off.

"Really, would you?" The librarian asked, gratitude in her voice. Ed nodded, and she immediately cheered up. "Wait here a moment," She told him. "I'll go inform the rest of the staff." Ed nodded again, and stood there, waiting for the woman to come back.

'Ironic, isn't it?' Ed mused to himself. 'Who'd think I'd have to deal with them again. Though I suppose that teaching is better than actually fighting against them. Again.' He inwardly sighed.

Ed was still thinking when the librarian came back with the staff. Unconsciously, Ed had braided his hair, like he used to. One of the staff members recognized him, to their surprise.

"We're really lucky," The male librarian, John, said. The other staff looked at him. "If I'm correct, his name is Edward Elric. He became a State Alchemist at the age of 12." Eyes grew in shock. It was tough to get in that early. "He was known as a genius, being incredibly smart and on par with most of the older alchemists. But what was really interesting about him," John continued, looking at the unaware Ed in awe. "Was that he was able to do alchemy without a transmutation circle, just woth his hands. It's rare, and due to his talent, they gave him the title "Fullmetal". He was known around the country until he disappeared for a while. Apparently he's come back, though."

The female librarian walked over to Ed with John behind her. "Sir?" She asked. Ed looked up, his eyes looking thoughtful over whatever he had been thinking about.

"Hmm?" Ed replied, looking at her and the new staff member.

"What is your name?" She asked.

A look of confusion came onto Ed's face, but then it cleared into understanding. He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, laughing a bit.

"Sorry about that. I'm Edward Elric. Nice to meet you." He introduced himself with a smile.

"Well Edward," The female librarian said. "It's time for the lesson. Please follow me." Ed nodded in response, and he followed the two members through the library. He remembered why he loved books so much; all the time he had spent here being a State Alchemist, he always had a book on him, whether in his bag or his pocket.

Reaching into his pocket, he felt for his pocket watch. Reassured it was there, he felt calm. The watch had been a reminder of his past. A painful one, yet necessary.

Ed was broken out of his reverie when he heard angry voices. He raised an eyebrow at the two librarians. The female just sighed, while the male led him in.

When John came in, the people were still rowdy. It was a fairly mixed class; some were children, others teens, young adults, and old adults. "Now, now everyone," John called attention to the room. "We have found a replacement teacher for today's lesson, so if you would please quiet down." Unfortunately, this had no affect on the riled crowd. John looked helplessly at Ed who, frankly, was annoyed.

Ed clapped his hands together, and it resonated through the room. He put his hands to the wall near him. Coming out of the wall was a piece of sanded wood, such as the teachers would use when teaching their students.

The room quieted and stared at the him. Ed, now getting the room's full attention, started the lesson. "Now, it's obvious I'm not the normal teacher, but you're going to have to make due. Now, does anyone have any complaints? You're free to leave." Ed said. When no one moved, he proceeded.

"Alright. Today's lesson, as I'm told, is about the Seven Sins. Does anyone know about them?" Ed asked. Hands were raised in the air. Ed called on the varying people, listening to what they knew.

"Well," Ed said, with a satisfied smile. "You all know more about the Sins than I thought, though there are many gaps to your information. Let's go over them, shall we?"

The woman librarian and John watched Ed in amazement as he taught the group. Never had they seen the class so quiet and attentive with the former teacher. "Incredible," John said to the librarian. "He's really gifted." The female librarian only nodded.

"As you all know," Ed began. "There are seven sins. Sloth, Gluttony, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Greed, and Pride. They are the seven sins that reside in man. Each person has one of those sins, whether they acknowledge it or not." Then Ed began listing information on the seven sins.

"Sloth. The desire for ease, even at the expense of doing the known will of God. Whatever we do in life requires effort. Everything we do is to be a means of salvation. The slothful person is unwilling to do what God wants because of the effort it takes to do it. Sloth becomes a sin when it slows down and even brings to a halt the energy we must expend in using the means to salvation.

"Gluttony. Wise temperance of the stomach is a door to all the virtues. Restrain the stomach, and you will enter Paradise. But if you please and pamper your stomach, you will hurl yourself over the precipice of bodily impurity, into the fire of wrath and fury, you will coarsen and darken your mind, and in this way you will ruin your powers of attention and self-control, your sobriety and vigilance.

"Envy. Envy is the desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation. Because other people are so much luckier, smarter, more attractive, and better than you. Envy is something that will consume you greatly, if it is left to grow.

"Wrath. Also referred to as anger, though much more intense, some may say. It's manifested in the individual who spurns love and opts instead for fury.

"Lust. Lust is an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body. When the mind is enraptured with something it likes, Lust can be seen in eyes.

"Greed. Greed is the desire for material wealth or gain, ignoring the realm of the spiritual. It is also called Avarice or Covetousness. Your want for things, rather than need, consumes you until you become something much worse.

"Pride. By far the worst of the Seven Sins. Pride is excessive belief in ones own abilities, that interferes with the individuals' recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise. Pride is also known as Vanity. Don't ever let Pride consume you. It is a treacherous thing that will make you hurt anything, and anyone." A pang of pain went through Ed's body, though nobody could see, as he masked it with a false smile.

"So, does anyone have any questions?" Ed asked, looking around the room.

"I have a question." Said a voice coming from the window. "What happens if all the sins are in one person?" The person asked, an eerie glint in his eye.

"If a person has all seven sins, huh?" Ed mused. His students were in absolute fear. Ed sighed inwardly. He had been here less than a week, and already a psycho had decided to grace him in their presence. "If they do, it's obvious then. And by the looks of it," Ed replied, standing up and walking towards the man. "You know clearly what it means."

"Ooh, Father was right; you are smart. I can see why he chose you." The voice chuckled. Ed paled. If he knew who 'Father' was, then he was in for a hell of a fight.

"Then you can see what's going to happen next, can't you?" Ed asked, throwing his teaching rod towards with deadly accuracy. It was so fast that most of his students couldn't see it.

"Yes, I can. But where would the fun in that be?" The person asked, twirling the teachibng rod Ed had thrown at him. He smiled like a predator eying his prey.

And with that, everyone except the two ran out ofthe room in fear.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this took so long. I kept re-writing this chapter in different spots, so it took a while.

This is where I got the info for the deadly sins, if you want to learn more about it.  
. Please review.


End file.
